After a week of texting via a dating app we finally found some time to meet up - which was not easy considering our crazy travel schedules. We decided to give our dogs a chance to release some energy at the same time as getting to know each other and - if it all ended up being a bust - at least it would have been productive (said the ex-New Yorker / doting dog parent in both of us). But of course this sentiment was mixed with a lot of intrigue and excitement. We met at the top of the dunes at Fort Funston, a park just south of San Francisco that overlooks the Pacific Ocean. We made our way down to the beach from the parking lot, and watched our dogs quickly take flight along the water's edge while we walked and talked. We shared with each other how we both considered Fort Funston one of our favorite places in the Bay.

One of Kim's favorite things about Fort Funston is that there are many sand dollar seashells along the water line which she would regularly collect. On a Friday afternoon in late August, Stephen invited Kim and the pups to Fort Funston for a walk, an activity they often shared together. Per usual Kim was looking for sand dollars along the way. At one point Kim stumbled upon a sand dollar that from a distance looked quite different. As she went to pick it up she said out loud, "Stephen! Look! This is the biggest most beautiful sand dollar I've ever seen! It can't be real, can it?" As she picked it up to investigate, she turned it over to see a note on the back that read "Will you marry me, Kim?". When she turned back around she saw Stephen on one knee and of course responded, "Yes!"